Souls in Flight
by PrincessArtemistheprotector
Summary: Hannibal is back in jail and the FBI wants his help cracking the toughest juvinille serial killer the state has ever seen. But when the two are forced to spend every waking moment together, will the FBI really get what they want? Set after all movies.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Hello every one! This will be my second fic on Fan Fiction, and my first Hannibal fic. Please be gentle. I am going to try my hand at Hannibal, but a character like this is so unique it's a fight to get

even a simple yes or no from him (Clarice knows what I mean ;-) ). Hope you enjoy. This will take place after all the movies, but Hannibal is caught again (I'll reveal how later in the fic.)

Down the stone corridor of the mental institution, Clarice Starling couldn't believe she was traveling, a lone chair sat in front of the cell that held the hospitals star patient. As she approached, Clarice could see the impeccable drawings of the man that sent chills down her spine. When she first arrived the cell was empty, and a pit formed in her stomach, but the sudden sound of a gurney, and that silky smooth voice met her ears, and her heart stopped for a beat.

"Hello Clarice. Have you come to visit? Not another case I hope. I have barely renewed my stay at the hospital, and you need my help." The strong vocabulary of Dr. Hannibal Lecter cut through the silence in the hall, and forced Clarice to stare at her lap. She had always felt like he was her teacher when she talked to him, always being chastised for not knowing the right answer, and being forced to do the homework for herself.

"Hello Dr. Lecter. I'm sorry to bother you so soon, but the reason I'm here is because the force has a new case, and they want your help on it." She could feel Hannibal's gaze as the nurses untied him from the strait jacket. She looked up at him, and the first thing that caught her was his strong maroon eyes. They stared down at her over the muzzle he wore, and dared her to tell him everything, not about the case, but about her. She broke the gaze first, returning to the paper work in front of her, and Hannibal smiled at her down cast head. A sudden clack of footsteps on the stone caught both their attentions, as the guard retreated down the hall, and another man approached. He wore a crisp business suit, and had sandy blonde hair that fell on his features like a mop. His green eyes, caught the light and blazed with their own brilliance, and Clarice knew at once this man would crumble under Hannibal's scrutiny.

"Special Agent Starling?" He questioned, extending a hand. Clarice shook it, feeling the maroon eyes behind the glass follow her hand up to meet this mans extended one. "My name is Special Agent John Rening. Have you briefed Dr. Lecter?" He sent a gaze at Hannibal, and then returned to Clarice without an introduction. Aware of Hannibal's immediate distaste, Clarice turned to the man who had both saved her and destroyed her.

"Actually, no Agent Rening. I was hoping you could clarify just what we are asking of Dr. Lecter."

Agent Rening turned to Hannibal, and seemed to realize that he had made a grave foul.

"Oh, Dr. Lecter, I'm so sorry I didn't introduce myself to you earlier. Actually, I am so used to talking to my most recent catch, that I completely forgot we have never met." Rening put a hand against the glass to signify a hand shake, and Hannibal returned the gesture with a practiced ignorance.

"Truthfully I don't know if this is going to work, but I want to give it a try. You see, Dr. Lecter, the young lady that I have recently caught has a similar motive to her killings, that is she kills for food. As of late she refuses to talk to me, and every mental test we throw at her seems to be nothing but a waste of money. She has even taken up the habit of going mute in the middle of lie detector tests and not finishing anything, or making her heart beat so fast that the tester is afraid she is going to have hypertension. We need someone she will open up to. Some one she wants to talk to and who can bring out her inner self. We, the state and I, believe that if she is forced to spend time with you, you can get a better grasp of her character, and what makes her tick, do to speak."

Clarice was almost dumb struck at the stupidity this man was showing. The state was actually going to let two serial killers shoot the breeze in a cell with each other, and they weren't worried about the safety of either prisoner? She voiced this opinion to Agent Rening. Hannibal cut Rening off before he could answer.

"Of course I would love to have a little company in this little piece of hell, and don't worry….I'll be a good little boy and let her live. But there is something I must request in return for this service." Clarice inwardly groaned at the mention of a catch. Hannibal seemed to hear her silent objection, and stared her right in the eye for over a minute, then snapped his head to Agent Rening. "I want you both to come here every single day and listen from those chairs. For the first couple of days she won't say anything, but as soon as I get her talking I want you both present to witness the genius of conversation and psychology at work." Clarice got the feeling that Dr. Lecter's request wasn't what he really wanted, but just a way to get around to it. Agent Rening, on the other hand, was all too eager to accept Hannibal's request.

"Of course we will be here. I wouldn't miss it for the world, right Agent Starling?" He said turning to her with a hopeful smile.

"Right, wouldn't miss it." She said, secretly wondering who was convincing who to do what here.

Three days later…

Agent Rening was nervous as they transported the captive to the hospital that day. She had to be heavily sedated, and she had still broken a guy's nose getting into the car. They were leading her through the corridor when he noticed that she was coming back to reality.

"Hurry everyone." He said to the nurses who were leading them into the cell. Dr. Lecter sat on his bed, watching them walk down the hall. He rose and moved to the door, blocking the way in.

"Dr. Lecter, please return to your bed until your cell mate is secure in the cell." A nurse requested, but Hannibal stayed stationary. Agent Starling began to get nervous too. They had put a muzzle on her before transporting, but they had left off the strait jacket, because the last time she had been in one she had run herself into a wall a couple of times to break her shoulder in order to escape. Slowly the girl began to regain consciousness, and identify her surroundings. When she had finally completely cleared her head, she met eyes with Hannibal, her Caribbean blue eyes, contrasting the blood red hair that slid down her back like a waterfall of blood. Clarice would later speculate that it reminded her of a part of the Shinning movie when the elevator doors would open and blood would pour down the walls and into the hallway.

The girl took a step forward, toward the glass, and the nurses who thought she was still drunk with morphine, stepped forward to catch her, only to be tripped by her foot. They both cracked their heads off the glass, and the guard took a step to help before being sent backward by her left foot connecting with his chin. Everyone with weapons drew them, and Clarice already knew this was a bad idea. Hannibal took seven steps back, as the nurse fumbled with the lock. He watched as she did a spin outer crescent kick to send three guns against a wall. The distraction of the guns and their owners gave her the time to move in between Clarice and John, where she placed a foot on their backs, and used the chairs to support herself. She sent them both forward into the glass, Clarice recovering quickly, John down for the count. The girl came within inches if Clarice, and was about to head butt, when the nurse got the door open, and Hannibal broke out of his room. He laid a strong hand on the girls shoulder, and she rounded on him, as if she would rip into him in no time at all, then caught the glint in his eyes, and froze.

"I understand perfectly if you feel the compulsion to rip into the flesh of Agent Rening here, he seems to be a very annoying man. Agent Starling on the other hand, is my… how you say…. Prey, and you would do well to leave her unharmed, or this arrangement may not go so well." Hannibal explained. The girl looked at him with clear eyes that showed no fear. Agent Rening got up slowly, holding his head.

"Jesus Micha, you don't have to be so mean. Just get in the cell, like a good girl, and nothing bad will happen." The girl shot him a glare that could have killed the Grimm reaper.

"Let us get one thing strait, before this arrangement, Agent Rening, I have no idea who Micha is, and I doubt that using a name that appears in the record books about a supposed girl that Dr. Lecter knew is going to protect me from his anger or hunger. Therefore I refuse to respond tot his fake alias, and prefer that I be addressed by the name I have given myself, seeming as my parents refused to give me one. I am Artemis, and any other name is unacceptable. Are we clear?" She looked back and forth between Clarice and John, as if she knew Hannibal had followed her perfectly and that the Special Agents would need the refresher in her namesake. Both agents nodded, and Agent Starling led both captives back into the cell. She noticed that Artemis had an I-pod, and wondered what kind of music she listened to. Artemis followed her gaze, and then laughed.

Most likely nothing you would like, Agent Starling." She said, lifting the I-pod off her belt and holding it out. Clarice refused, and walked out of the cell.

"We will be back in the morning. That will give you two time to connect." She said, helping the guard to his feet.

"Good by Clarice. See you soon." Hannibal commented, and then turned his gaze to Artemis. She waved to both agents, but said nothing. The look in her eyes gave the impression she was up to no good, but the expression she wore was one of complete innocence.

What does everyone think? Hannibal is going to start talking a lot more now; I just had to introduce the characters. There could be whole chapters where Artemis doesn't talk at all, but she is still developing after four years of work, so be patient. See you soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hannibal watched his new cellmate pace the cell. She seemed to him, like a caged animal, pacing back and forth to the sound of her music. She wasn't bothering him, but she was starting to peak his interests after the amazing feat of beating up seven people on her way in.

The doors at the end of the hall opened, and the nurse who had been assigned to delivering food made his slow progression down the hall. He stopped at each cell and placed a bowl of soup in each of the slots that gave access to the prisoners. When he arrived at their cell, he placed two bowls of soup in the grate on the side of the cell and walked off. Hannibal rose and retrieved the bowls, passing one to the girl. She looked at the bowl, set it down on the table, and laid down on her cot. Hannibal ate in silence, and then decided to get started deciphering her.

"So… You said your name was Artemis, right?" He asked. Artemis looked over at him and nodded. "Well then, Artemis, my name is Dr. Hannibal Lecter." He extended a hand across the small cell. She looked at it for a while, deciding if it was a trick, no doubt, and then shook it.

"Well then Artemis, do you like art?" He asked. She looked at the floor, then back up at him.

"Do they ever call you monster, here?" She asked suddenly, changing the subject. Hannibal thought about her question for a minute or two.

"Yes every once and a while someone who walks in will call me a monster. Does being called a monster hurt you Artemis? Does it hurt inside when someone insults you to your face?" Hannibal watched her ponder the question as she admired his sketches on the walls.

"No. I can handle being called a monster because I know that they just don't understand why I kill. What hurts you the most then?" She asked, standing up and fingering the picture of the Italian sky line. Hannibal stood up next to her, his arm brushing hers as they looked at the art.

"They won't give me a window in here, so I have to draw my own. Would you like to draw a window, Artemis?" She looked at him, getting the feeling that this was supposed to be more about her and not him. She nodded, and they sat down at the table together. She picked up the pen that was lying there, and pulled a sheet of paper towards her. They sat in silence for a while as he watched her sketch on the page. When he began to see the form of a wolf on the page her asked her why she would choose to draw that first. She continued to sketch for a couple of minutes before responding.

"My father and mother were killed by wolves. Everyone who met me after my parent's death claimed that I howl at night in my sleep. Funny, I do that to make them angry that they can't sleep, and they contribute it to my parents. People really don't understand anything about people like us." She looked at Hannibal. "Not that I consider us equals, you avoided the police for over six years, and I got caught two years after my first killing." She stopped sketching, and set the pen down. She looked at the bowl again, but didn't eat anything.

"They aren't going to poison you with soup, Artemis." Hannibal said, his head tilted in that mock smile of his. She glared at the bowl with disgust.

"I only eat blood. I've been drinking blood for over three years now and if I eat anything else I usually end up puking later. There is no real reason to try." She said, heading back to the bed.

Clarice and John walked down the corridor together in silence. Even though it was ten o'clock in the afternoon he had a Starbucks cup in his hand. When they got to the cell he tapped on the glass, and Artemis rolled over and headed to the grate. John passed the Starbucks cup through the grate. Artemis pulled the lid off the cup and looked at the liquid. She looked back at him and he smiled warmly.

"It's not poisoned or anything. They keep telling me that you aren't eating, and I keep telling them you won't, but they don't listen." Artemis took one more look at the liquid, then a gentle sip. When she had determined that it was something she wanted, she downed the whole glass, a small drop of crimson liquid trickling down her cheek. Hannibal wiped it away, placing his finger in his mouth to get a strong taste of blood. He then turned to John.

"Now why would a special agent risk a penalty to bring blood to a convicted criminal?" He speculated. Clarice turned to John with an accusing glare, but John kept a level head.

"Just because she is a criminal, doesn't mean she can starve herself. Besides she needs to receive her rightful punishment before I will let her die." John shot Artemis an evil glare, as if to say that it was her fault the hospital wouldn't cater to her wishes. Artemis, though, wasn't paying an ounce of attention. Instead she was singing along with her I-pod.

"I... Hate.. Everything about you. Why.. Do I love you?" She sang. John looked like he was about to give up right there, but Clarice wasn't going to just walk away now.

"What song is that?" She asked cheerfully. Artemis sat there singing through the chorus, then Answered.

"I hate everything about you, by Three Days Grace." She replied. Clarice nodded and listened to some of the lyrics as Artemis sang.

"Every time we lye awake, after every hit we take. Every feeling that I get, but I haven't missed you yet. Only when I stop to think about it." Artemis sang. Clarice tapped on the glass to signal to Hannibal. The doctor approached the glass, happy to be that close to his love.

"Uh... Dr. Lecter could you please see if you could get a list of some of the important songs on her I-pod?" Hannibal stopped to ponder her request for a moment.

"Of course Clarice. What should I be looking for?" He asked her as she leaned in to the glass to avoid Artemis hearing their conversation.

"Well..." Clarice stuttered for a second. "The songs she listens to the most." She finally answered. Hannibal nodded to show he understood, then suddenly turned against the glass and pushed out the grate.

"You mean these?" He asked. Inside the grate was a list of about seven songs. Clarice and John hovered over the paper Dr. Lecter had provided them with.

Favorite Songs

Animal I Have Become

Getting Away With Murder

Girlfriend

How you remind me

I Hate Everything about You

Paper Cut

When I'm Gone

"Yes." Clarice said as she noticed the titles. This girl was obviously very disturbed if the things she listened to were this weird. She looked at Artemis, worried that spending time with Hannibal would plunge the girl deeper into some sort of psychotic episode. John, on the other hand, was even more motivated to talk to her.

"Hey Artemis, lets cut to the chase, okay? I want you to take a look at your case file and sort it into the people you have and haven't killed. If you can do that for me, it might get you a lighter sentence. I mean, your accused of killing thirteen people, but come on, you couldn't have done that many inn three years. So would you take a look?" John tossed a case file into the grate and passed it through. Artemis didn't move, so Hannibal picked it up, and started to look through it. Finally he got to the end of the file and pulled two pictures out of the folder.

"These all seem to be done by the same person, a young female with great physical fitness. She obviously has a massive amount of respect for the dead by the way she leaves them neatly folded and only cuts the carotid. She feels slight remorse, but not for killing. She feels bad about having no choice but to kill. Now these other two… they are different. The killer here is a novice, they were not expecting to be interrupted, and they obviously were. The killer ripped the skin off the children from the jaw down, which was the most likely cause of death." Artemis flinched at this statement, showing she was at least still listening. "Well, John, I would have to say that these two children were killed by a different person." Artemis threw her hands in the air and cried halleluiah.

"Now convince him of that, because I have been trying for the past two months and nothing I say works." She said to Hannibal, the frustration clear in her voice. She stayed on her bed, and Hannibal began to wonder why she hadn't stood up yet. John became furious, and headed up to the gates at the end of the hall. Clarice got up to follow him, but was stopped by Hannibal.

"Clarice. You ripped me apart last time we had a full conversation. I would love to talk again, Clarice. Maybe this time you will not be so cruel." With that Hannibal smiled. "Ta-ta Clarice, see you soon."

Wow, that took forever. If I have no idea what I'm doing please tell me so. I would hate to destroy my favorite character. Please R&R. See you soon!!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Artemis had turned toword the wall and was now ignoring Hannibal completely, which was starting to annoy him. She wouldn't say anything, and every time Hannibal tried to touch her she would squirm away from him. There was a definite change in her behavior, most likely brought on by the blood that John had given her. He was just about to give up, when the guards came down the hall, and asked both of them to stand against the back wall of the cell. Once they were there, the guard opened the door and dragged Artemis out. Hannibal spun around just as they were dragging her off, the look that shown in the guard's eye was one that he had seen in men powered by lust. He kept sharp ears open for the sound of the act that would follow, but he had to assume she was a silent moaner, because he heard nothing. About an hour later they dragged her back to the cell, the now noticeable change in her was exhaustion. They threw Artemis onto her bunk, her head hitting the metal support and cutting open to spew blood.

"She's a nice ride once she's fed if you get bored, cannibal man." The guard laughed in Hannibal's direction as he closed the door to the cell. Artemis's shoulders heaved, whether in silent sobs or quivers of rage Hannibal couldn't tell. He approached her cautiously, attending to the gash on her head that spread from her left ear to right above her left eye. The blood ran into her eye, causing it to water, and she was still shaking as he examined the gash. A young nurse, too young to know what hideous crimes awarded these two a cell in this hell hole rushed up to the glass with a first aid kit.

"She needs stitches. If you would be so kind as to fetch some thread and a needle you won't have to come in here at all." Hannibal said in a very calm tone. Artemis squirmed under his grip at the word needle, and when the nurse returned with the sewing needle in his hand she turned a nasty grey color.

"I-I d-don't like n-needles." She stampered. Hannibal was noting the sudden constant expression of emotion that seemed to grip her at the moment, as he retreaved the needle.

"It really doesn't hurt that much once we start sewing you up." Hannibal tried to reassure her, but she was scooching away to the corner as he returned. Finnaly she backed up against a wall, and Hannibal was able to stratle her hips. She was trying to to melt into the wall as he put his left hand to her head in order to keep her steadly. She whimpered like a kicked puppy in anticipation, so Hannibal decided to try and comfort her.

"So why do you howl at night if not for your parents death?" He asked as he pushed the needle through her skin. She flinched again and remained quiet. "Is it because you believe that howling will keep the wolfs away so that you can live?"

"I told you it is to annoy my adopted parents. Osiris always used to yell at me to stop tormenting them. He thought it sounded like a dying mutt on the corner at four in the morning. I swear that boy could think up the oddest things…." She stopped talking suddenly, obviously realizing she was giving him information that she didn't want him to have. They were so close that Hannibal could hear the music that played on her I-pod.

_"Show me what its like to be the last one standing. Teach me wrong from right, and I'll show you what I can be. Say it for me, say it to me, and I'll leave this life behind me, say it if it's one thing to me."_ Sang the male voice as Hannibal finished the last stich.

"Why do they let you have that I-pod?" he asked her out of curiosity. She smiled.

"Because it keeps me calm, gives me something to do beside relay my killings to the night guards, and because they want me to act human." She replyed calmly. Hannibal placed a strong empty left hand on her ceek, bringing his face dangerously close to hers. She took a minute to realize what he might do, then he pulled away and stood up, leaving her breathless and a bright shade of red with surprise. She looked up at him, trying to understand why he had done that if he wasn't going to kiss her, then realized that he was smiling at her, she just looked dazed. She stood up slowly, gripping the wall for support, then nearly fell over. Hannibal caught her soulder as she began to fall, her eyes hooded as she slipped against his chest, her other arm sliding next to his ear. She got her arms around his neck, then pulled him to within inches of her face, the nano-second of his surprise worth the effort it had taken to get to that point. She tapped him lightly on the cheek.

"Two can play at that game, Doctor. I maybe young, but I have dealt with more men then I care to, ever in my life." She took a couple steps back, then turned on her heels, and sank onto her bunk. He heard her mutter some thing about "getting that asshole back tomorrow."

"John you disgusting bastard! Come in here and let me beat that smile off your face you asshole!" Artemis shouted as John and Clarice approached the cell. John was laughing hardily from a coment that the night guard had said a couple of seconds ago.

"But Arty," he whinned joyously. "I thought you would love to be out of your cell for a while, on a soft bed, with a strong man to _protect _you." John laughed again, and Artemis threw herself against the glass with the intent to destroy everything in her wake. Hannibal moved his paintings to the floor beneath his bunk. Clarice could already tell today would be another failed attempt, and was tempted to tell Hannibal that Artemis would be his new cellmate for life. Hannibal rose from his bunk and approached the glass with less ferocity than Arty had.

"Hello Clarice. They don't get along well, do they Clarice. I am starting to wonder if it is really worth the trouble of talking to her if she is constantly being annoyed." Clarice nodded, trying not to betray the feeling that Hannibal had just read her mind. Hannibal looked at her for a couple of moments, then smiled his award winning smile. It sent a shiver through Clarice Starling's spine, and she turned to John and Arty in order to avoid more bouts of fear. The two seemed to be in a staring contest, and remarkably Arty was loosing. The stitches on her head made it hard for her to stretch out her eyes, which was her way of avoiding blinking, and she was struggling with her watering eyes. Finally John looked at Clarice, breaking the duel, and Arty blinked freely. John sighed, and looked nervously up the hall.

"Arty, we have a visitor for you, but I don't know if you are going to be able to handle the meeting…." Artemis gave John a heated glare, and he couldn't look her in the eye. Suddenly the sound of footsteps filled the hall as a young boy with fire engine red hair and sparkling forest green eyes approached. Arty froze where she was and she seemed to gawk at the approaching figure in awe.

"Hey, long time no see, sis!" He exclaimed as he walked right up to the glass, the strong smile never fading as he pressed a hand against the glass.

"O-Osiris?" She said. The boy looked at her with criticizing eyes.

"Come on Arty. What happened to you? You never get hurt. You should be more careful you know. You might end up in jail." Osiris giggled at his joke, and Arty forced a smile.

"Yeah, prison." She said.

"So who's your friend here? Anyone I would know?" Osiris said with a truthful curiosity.

"Huh?" Artemis said, looking at Hannibal like she had never seen him before. Osiris was looking around when he yelped and pushed himself harder against the glass. At first nobody knew what had scared the boy, but then Clarice had noticed a spider web in the corner with a small brown spider resting in the center. She laughed at first, then looked back at the boy and stopped. He was attempting to clutch the glass, his face had turned a milky white, and he was sliding down the wall without uttering a sound. Arty found one of the air holes in the glass and pressed her finger into her brother's palm for support.

"It's okay Osiris, you'll be okay. I'm here for you man, don't worry, everything is going to be fine." She cooed. Osiris seemed a little reassured, but not by much.

"A-arty, I c-can't stay h-here anymore. Y-you understand, r-right?" he asked, and John's deminor became sour.

"You wouldn't leave your sister over one little spider, would you?" John asked, but Osiris was already retreating back up the stairs. Arty laid something in the grate and pushed it through, turning to Clarice.

"Agent Starling, would you plause give that to him? It is the claw off the first bear that he helped kill. It is rightfully his now anyway." Clarice nodded and retreaved the bear claw. John put out his hand and followed Osirs. Arty went back to her bunk and sat down, holding her head in her hands. Clarice approached the glass again.

"Artemis, would you mind talking to me for a couple of minutes?" She asked. Arty didn't look at Clarice, but she nodded.

"Artemis, why is Osiris afraid of spiders?" She asked. Arty grunted.

"He woke up once with a spider on his nose. Three hours later a bubble on his nose broke and spewed baby spiders. He's been afraid ever since." Arty said, then went silent. Clarice tried to get more out of the girl, but she was quiet. Hannibal cut in just as Clarice was becoming more and more frustrated.

"Why are you so quiet, Artemis?" He asked, glancing at Clarice briefly to be sure he wasn't interrupting her. She glanced at him, silently telling him to get what ever he could from her. Artemis didn't say anything, she just stared at the floor.

"Artemis, you are being rude." He said, touching her leg with his own. She seemed to snap out of a daze as she looked up at him.

"Huh? What was the question?" She asked.

"When did you two start living alone in the woods?" Clarice asked again. Artemis thought back for a couple of minutes.

"Osiris was six, so I was… nine. That was about seven years ago." She finally answered. Clarice began scribbiling furiously in her notes. Suddenly Arty stood up and walked to the other side of the cell, sitting down beside Hannibal. She turned to him and in the calmest voice she could use she asked him a very personal question.

"Was Micha your mother, or sister?" She asked. Clarice looked up from her writing, obviously curious as to how Hannibal would respond. Hannibal on the other hand looked at her with a slight surprise.

"She was my sister and she was killed by five men who were looking for food in the Russian winter during world war II." He said. Artemis watched him as he answered.

"Did they eat her like you eat your victims?" Arty questioned. Hannibal looked over at Clarice before answering.

"Yes. They ate her and fed me the scraps later when I was unconscious." Both Artemis and Clarice shivered, but not for the same reason.

"They could have at least given you the choice to eat or not." Artemis said. This caused Clarice to shiver again.

"I gave my brother the choice when I would cut my arm open so he could drink…" Arty went silent, realizing that Clarice was becoming uncomfortable with the conversation. John came back at that moment, and Artemis refused to answer any more questions.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

6 months later….

Clarice was looking over the notes she had been collecting over the past couple of months as a harsh snow pounded her house. She had only gotten bits and pieces out of Artemis since her arrival in Hannibal's cell. John seemed to be a constant annoyance instead of a help. He brought Arty blood once a week from a local blood bank, but then would shout at Artemis, and threaten her with cutting off the supply. Finally Clarice had decided to call her superiors and request that John not attend the meetings. She hoped without him she could get more information. Her superiors were happy to oblige as long as Clarice would record her visits. Needless to say John wasn't pleased, but he still brought her blood to give to Arty. Clarice looked up at the clock on the wall. It was 11:30 at night and she still hadn't slept. The constant confusion of Arty's character drove her nuts. At least with Hannibal there was a constant characteristic, he was always truthful, and he wanted to know about her too. They were trading information about each other, where as Artemis would sit for hours without speaking, and then suddenly shout something down the hall as Clarice left. Clarice shut off the light above her desk and climbed the stairs to bed.

The next day Clarice retrieved the blood filled Starbucks cup and headed over to the institution. When she arrived the head doctor met her at the door.

"Artemis is not in her cell. We have developed a new way to watch her kill without putting her out in public. We have created a simulator with Dell that will put her in various situations. After every successful killing she will move on to another person. We believe that it will help us understand why she kills as well as how far she will go to beat a game. Would you like to watch?" The doctor said. Clarice was half tempted to say no, but instead she nodded. She was lead down a long corridor to a room with a one way mirror. On the other side was a track with chains hanging, and Artemis standing completely still. Clarice noticed the projectors on the ground.

"All right Arty, remember this is real, so do what ever you would in real life, okay?" The doctor said into a microphone. His response was the bird. The man growled at her then pressed a button on the council. Arty was face to face with a young man of about thirty-nine with blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. Clarice recognized the boy as Arty's first victim, Alex Spinwald. The boy looked frightened, and Arty couldn't look at his face. The boy, suddenly summoning the courage to fight, charged Artemis. She parried the blow, bringing her knee into his stomach as he passed. She then reached up into the chains above her head and pulled a simulated knife which she sliced his carotid with. Everyone in the booth flinched except for one. Clarice suddenly felt Hannibal's presence and spun around to see him in a strait jacket and a muzzle. He was watching the girl down below with the height of curiosity.

"She is looking for blood, Clarice. That is why she is going for his neck. She does not have the sharp canines to bite into her pray, so she must cut through their skin." Hannibal seemed amused by the way Artemis proceeded through the onslaught of people that the simulator created. Most were her former victims, some were doctors at the institution, and still more were her family and friends. She didn't hesitate for an instant. Everyone was slaughtered, and then disappeared into thin air as the simulator brought forth the rest of the people. Clarice watched with horror as this teenager moved through the ranks of people who the simulator projected.

"There are three more we are going to project, but to make it realistic we want to know, what kinds of weapons do you two like?" The doctor asked Clarice and Hannibal. Clarice looked thunder struck at the question, and only managed to stutter that she preferred her gun. Hannibal on the other hand was not as surprised by the question.

"Prefer the katana actually. It has always been a favorite of mine, the way it moves so smoothly through the body." Clarice couldn't hold back the shudder that racked her body. The simulator suddenly changed to John, but by now Arty had gotten used to the pattern in which people would appear, and snuck up behind John with her fake knife and slit his thought. Clarice and Hannibal appeared at the same time, Clarice her gun raised, Hannibal's katana at Arty's back. The doctors had begun playing the songs off her I-pod, and Wake Me up Inside was playing. Arty pulled her own katana out of the chains and stood quiet for a moment. With a sudden swipe she disarmed Starling and clashed swords with Hannibal. The speakers were on so the music would play and Hannibal shouted into them.

"Do you really think it's that easy to kill me?" Artemis shook her head. The simulated Clarice charged Artemis, who rammed the but of the Katana into the special agent's stomach. Clarice dropped, and Artemis turned back to Hannibal.

"I can't." She said simply. She held the sword at her belt level, and the real Hannibal shouted over the intercom.

"Why not? You slaughtered everyone who has gotten in your way so far. What are two more lives, especially two you don't know?" Savin' Me began to play over the speakers as Arty and the simulated Hannibal stood facing each other.

"Because…" She said. She looked to the floor, then back up at the simulation. "Because you saved my soul, when everyone else wanted to destroy it. You understand what I have been through without me even explaining it, and you don't call me a monster, because you can see what I am, and you know what I am. If I had the guts to kill you, I would be accepting that I am a monster and that you were wrong." She looked away for a moment, and then chuckled. "Isn't it rude to prove people wrong?" She asked. Hannibal didn't say anything. The simulator, expecting this silence to be the go ahead for an attack, sent the simulated Hannibal charging at Artemis. She put up a block to protect her, and then sent the simulated sword pointing through her own flesh. The simulator stopped, and the only one who wasn't surprised was Hannibal.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Artemis and Hannibal were back in their cell, Hannibal sketching something on a note pad, Arty humming a Christmas carol because she didn't have her I-pod. Clarice was half tempted to go home right there and never come back. Artemis had displayed an empty, unforgiving mind when she had slaughtered everyone the simulator had projected except for Hannibal and herself. Clarice did descend the stairs, though because of her strong will to never give up. When she arrived at the cell, Artemis was singing "Its Beginning to Look A Lot like Christmas".

"Hello Artemis, Dr. Lecter." Clarice said as she sat down in the chair that was set in front of the glass for her. Both cellmates looked up at her and smiled. Arty was in a very chipper mood, a better one than she had been in for months.

"Hello Agent Starling!" Arty exclaimed. Dr. Lecter was not as enthusiastic as his partnered youth.

"Hello Clarice. Did you enjoy the show Artemis put on? She was very talented, even if she did fail." He trailed off when Arty shot him a look of distaste. The two had obviously, unbenounced to the outside world, chosen not to fight in such small spaces for the sake of their limbs and life. Clarice cleared her thought in order to ease the tension, brining attention to herself.

"Yes, Artemis is an amazing fighter." Clarice commented, which put a smile on the said girls face. Arty tilted her head to one side as she examined Clarice with a cautious eye.

"Agent Starling, I have a request…" Arty stopped herself short of giving up her plan until she knew Clarice was ready to hear it. "You always have questions for me when you come, and I understand I am not the most cooperative person to interrogate, so let's make a trade. For every question I answer, I want you to put a dollar next to the question. I want to buy my brother a Christmas present, and with no way to get out, and no money to spend, I was wondering if you would help me out?" Arty was nervous as to Clarice's answer, and she didn't say anything for a long pause.

"But you promise to answer my questions truthfully?" Clarice asked, cautious of what Arty was trying to pull. The red head nodded, and Clarice nodded too. "I think I can manage a Christmas present for your brother." Arty looked relieved, and smiled.

"Okay then Agent Starling, fire away." Artemis commented. Hannibal shot her a look of suspicion over his sketch book, but returned to his work without comment.

"Well,.." Clarice sighed as she shifted through papers to find where to begin. "Let's start with your family. What do you think of your brother and parents?" Arty pondered the question for a couple of seconds.

"Well the parents you are referring to are really my adopted ones, and I really didn't live with them long enough to get a good reading on them. My brother and I lost our parents because of a camping trip gone wrong, and I thought they were nice people. My brother is the height of scientific curiosity; he is afraid of little things, like spiders and bugs, but fascinated with the solar system and anything that is out of his reach to obtain. I think if a star would fall to Earth in our step parent's back yard you would have the happiest kid in the world." Hannibal and Clarice both noticed the childish mistake Arty had made about believing that stars could fall to Earth, but neither corrected her.

"Well then Artemis, why don't you tell me about the accident? The one that killed your real parents?" Clarice was a little worried that this subject would cause Artemis to close up again, but she had to ask the question now while Arty was talking, or she might never get an answer. Arty didn't look upset or angry, but more like she was tired of retelling the story she had never told.

"My parents took my brother and me on a camping trip when he was four and I was six. One day a dog of a man walked into the camp. He asked if we had food, and my parents welcomed him into camp. Dad was off getting fire wood, when the man came up behind mom and put a knife in her back. Dad never came back because the man had an accomplice. They took our parents bodies into the woods, and then came back for us. I can't remember how long they stayed, but I remember they beat us a lot. They would laugh at us as we struggled to get out of the tents …" Arty stopped for a second, and in her mind she was back at that camp site, with her brother in her arms, bawling about mom and dad. She fell silent as she reminisced, and Clarice was tempted to console her, had there not been a nine inch thick piece of glass between them. Hannibal was ready to rile her up again with his next brilliant comment.

"So if these men killed _mommy and daddy _why didn't you kill them like all your other victims?" Artemis flinched at the way Hannibal referred to parents. Mommy and Daddy seemed too childish, almost rude when used in that manner. She looked at him, and cocked her head to one side. When ever Hannibal made her really mad, she would pretend she was reading him, which would cause him to lock himself up and leave her alone. Though she was unsuccessful at understanding how Hannibal worked, she could pretend long enough to keep him quiet. Clarice repeated Hannibal's question, putting a dollar symbol next to a couple of questions.

"Because they scared me and they were the ones who taught me how to kill. They made us go out in the forest to hunt, and if we didn't bring anything back they would beat us again. Finally one day they were gone." Artemis said. She was already regretting agreeing to talk, but if she could get a present for Osiris it would all be worth it. Clarice, sensing that the tension in the room was rising greatly, decided to move on into a different part of Arty's life.

"So when was your first killing Artemis?" Clarice questioned. This caused the said red head to think for quiet some time.

"Well I killed animals in the forest for a couple of summers while my brother and I were stranded, but my first human killing was the blonde kid in Kentucky. He was a real easy target, not like that simulator made him out to be. I got up behind him and slit his thought like butter with my army knife. When my adopted parents found out they took it away from me."

"Wait," Clarice cut in. "Your adopted parents knew you were killing people?" Arty let loose an evil grin.

"No they didn't know. You see they gave me the knife as an ornament for my room, but when I came home one day with blood on it they thought I had skinned a fish or something and had a fit because the knife was real expensive." Artemis clarified. She looked back at the wall. Clarice pondered her next words carefully.

"How many things have you killed in fifteen years?" Clarice wondered. Artemis again took a while to answer.

"I have killed eleven people and thirty animals in the fifteen years I have been alive." She finally said, seeming surprised even that she had killed so much in such little time. "Most of the animals were for food, though. Osiris and I had to live out there for three years before the Russians picked us up." She said, lost in thought. Hannibal pricked up at this.

"You lived in Russia?" He asked, trying to seem casual. Artemis didn't say anything, but she nodded her response. Then realization flashed across her face.

"Oh yeah, that was your families castle they turned into a boarding school, huh?" Arty asked Hannibal. She smiled with accomplishment. Hannibal didn't say anything; he didn't even acknowledge that she had spoken. She tilted her head to one side. "You were the one they said stabbed a councilor in the arm with a fork. Bravo Dr. Lecter." Again Hannibal refused to comment as the girl smiled at her accomplishment of unveiling the owner of her childhood home.

"I hated that place too. The people were nasty and cruel. One of the councilors tried to drown Osiris and me in a vat of blood. That's the reason our hair is so red. He held us there so long the blood won't wash out. It sort of melted into our hair." Hannibal continued to ignore the girl, but thought back to the days at the academy were the corpses often came out with yellow hair from the formaldehyde. The hair follicles were still alive, and would absorb nutrients from the surrounding area.

Clarice wrote a note for herself on the side of the page to research both Arty's claim and Hannibal's past. She looked up at Artemis and smiled.

"What kind of Christmas present were you thinking?" She asked. Arty took only a second to answer.

"Well my adopted parents never let him have a telescope, so……" She trailed off hopping Clarice would get the hint. Clarice looked down at the paper.

"Then be ready for more questions tomorrow. It will take a while to get the money together for that." Arty nodded. Hannibal suddenly stood and approached the glass. He looked at Clarice with a studying eye that followed the contorts of her body all the way down to her feet. The feeling made her want to shiver.

"Good by Clarice. See you tomorrow." He commented. Something about the way he said those words, scared Clarice more than anything she had seen that day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hannibal watched his caged cell mate pace the room. She would do this for hours before becoming frustrated and sitting down, only to become more frustrated and begin pacing again. Artemis seemed so uneasy with the small space in which they lived.

"You know that pacing a hole, no matter how deep, will not free you from the confides of this building. Or are you trying to dig a grave in which to burry your crimes?" Hannibal watched the girl shoot him a look, but she kept her civilly so as to prevent a fight.

"I hate small places because there is nothing to do. I don't like diving into the deep recesses of my mind as you do, Dr. Lecter, because I, unlike you have yet to come to terms with the horrors of my past. Maybe in that respect I am not as strong as you." She continued to pace for another couple of minutes, then sank down on her bed with a huff.

"Well then, seeming as you cannot come to terms with it, may I at least indulge in the details of your containment in the wilderness of the Russian landscape?" Hannibal looked at her, and she seemed to ponder the question for a moment.

"I was young, so I only remember the worst parts. My parents took us out; we had been in the woods for only a couple of days, when the first man approached. I remember mother fighting about him not being safe, father arguing that the man couldn't have anything that would harm us. Finally he wore mother down, and we welcomed the man into camp. I remember climbing a tree next to a clearing with a destroyed house. Father was enjoying measuring the house with its shadow, when I saw the accomplice walk out of the woods…" She stopped for a minute, obviously scared to continue. She looked over at Hannibal, and stared into his eyes.

"I don't remember their names, just their faces, but I know that they were caught after my escape and my brother was turned into the orphanage two days before we were adopted." Hannibal cocked his head slightly.

"You mean you didn't take your brother with you?" He asked.

"I-I told him I would come back for him. I-I didn't leave him, but nobody would talk to me. They told me the forest was empty. They didn't find him till three days later. I stopped talking to the other people because they wouldn't listen anyway. When we were finally adopted, I just kind of stopped talking altogether. Except for the howling. Then one day my adopted father took us hunting in a small park like area, and I killed a deer with a gun. We had to kill with our hands in the forest, and the guns seemed disconnected. I didn't get the same thrill out of killing with a gun as my bare hands. That was when I found out that I enjoyed killing. I couldn't tell my brother, but some how he knew. We were set on a diet of only liquids for the first six months with our adopted parents, because we really hadn't lived off enough for our stomachs to develop enough to digest had solids. My brother grew out of it, but I couldn't take the puking that came with trying solid foods." Artemis looked up at Hannibal and could tell that he was mildly interested. She stopped talking, and began examining her hands. Suddenly she heard her cell mates bed creak, then he was net to her, so close that she could hear, and faintly eel his breath on her ear.

"So what hinted you that blood made you want sex?" He asked. She shivered at his coarse choice of words.

"W-what gave you that impression?" She said, cursing her shuddering voice. She gazed up into his maroon eyes, trying so hard not to let him see past her sky blue pupils, but the smirk on his face clearly showed that she was failing.

"well, I am merely commenting on the fact that every time you frustrate our dear Agent Johnson, that a guard comes to drag you off to a distant chamber, and usually you are more cooperative when you have been fed." Hannibal continued to stare at those eyes, the color extravagant. Immediately Artemis seemed to become more on edge, realizing that in this cell she was trapped with a man who could read all her secrets. She broke the staring contest, dropping her gaze to the floor. He moved suddenly, slipping his hand under her shirt to touch her rough and scarred abs. She was quick to slap his hand away, but he couldn't help noticing how her cheeks reddened with the touch.

"What are you playing at?" She asked, trying to remain calm. He looked at her for another moment, and then headed back to his bunk.

"If you truly want to know what those monsters names are, a mix of thiopental sodium, and two other hypnotics helped me. It might work, if you were interested in remembering." He then turned over and went to sleep.

Clarice marveled at the intricate sketches of the main stretch of France near the Eifel tower, drawn on a piece of parchment in Hannibal's cell. Currently Artemis was releasing bottled energy in the simulator, and Hannibal would be returning momentarily from the track area where he got his exercise. While they were away, Clarice had been granted entrance to their cell, to see how their everyday life played out from a different angle. Arty's side of the cell seemed barren, only about three pictures, all of her brother, plastered on the wall. Hannibal, on the other hand, had at least twenty sketches, placed as if they were windows all along his wall. There was only about a two or three foot space between the bunks, which meant the two cell mates, spent a lot of time right on top of each other. Sitting down on his bed, Clarice could tell that Hannibal most likely hated the flimsy mattress and the paper thin pillows. The toilet was barely clean, and the mirror in the corner was not made of real glass, so it barely reflected anything.

Suddenly Clarice heard struggling down the hall, and before she could exit, the guards thrust Artemis through the door, and slammed it shut. They had just finished locking the door when they realized who was in the cell besides Artemis. Clarice starred at the girl, stunned into silence now that she was face to face with a girl she had only known through glass up until now. Artemis was blocking the door, so that the guards couldn't unlock it, and Clarice feared that, unlike Hannibal, Artemis would kill her. After a brief silence, Artemis spoke.

"What is this, some kind of new tactic of getting me to be more open? Enter the cell with a mad man, just so it seems more personal? I would slaughter you right now, if I didn't fear Dr. Lecter would slaughter me later." She moved a step closer to Clarice, who tried not to step back.

"You don't think you can beat Dr. Lecter if your life were at stake?" Clarice asked, watching the girl as she examined her pray with each eye, like a crow about to feast on the remains of a dead squirrel.

"Dr. Lecter is an extremely intellectual man, but when all intellect fails, the sheer power of his will to survive and unleash his revenge, would make even the bravest of men cower in fear. If I were to invoke that rage, I would be a dead woman in a matter of minutes." She took another step toward Clarice, still blocking the door. She continued to stare at her, and then extended a hand.

"We were never properly introduced, and I feel that with so much information about me rolling around in your head, you should at least be able to say you touched the beast." Clarice took her hand in a daze. After they shook, Artemis sat down on her bed, clearing the path to the door. Clarice looked at her in awe.

"You're not going to stop me? Try to hold me for ransom, or use me as food? I just get to leave like that?"She asked. Even in her thirteen years as a cop, never had a suspect let a perfect chance to escape pass them by.

"Would you like me to eat you? Want me to go stand by the door, and make you stay? Do you want to wait for Dr. Lecter to come, and then we can really have a threesome?" She giggled slightly at her sex pun. "He really is observant, Dr. Lecter. He is also very crude when he feels the need to slice into your mind and rip your composure right off your face." Clarice heard the door slide open, and she walked toward it, then stopped and turned.

"Do you think he would hurt me if I came into this cell with the two of you? Would you hurt me, if I were in this cell with you?" Clarice asked. Artemis thought about it for a while.

"He probably won't physically hurt you. Mentally, being in the same room with him for more that two hours is maddening, but I think he likes you. I would hurt you if he were not here, but if we were all in here together, you have nothing to worry about." She said. Clarice nodded, left the cell, and the building for the night.

Just so you know I got the drug that Hannibal used to remember those goons in the forest from the Hannibal Rising Book.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Clarice listened to the quick pounding of her heart as she watched the guards chain Artemis and Hannibal to their bunks. She was going into the lions den, but she seemed more excited than scared. She already knew Artemis feared Hannibal, and that Hannibal couldn't kill her, so she felt very confident that she would come out alive. When both convicts were secured, Clarice walked into the cell, and sat at a chair that had been placed at the end of the bunks.

"Hello Artemis, Dr. Lecter." Clarice said, as cheerfully as she could.

"Hello Clarice. Finally come to join us in our five by nine cell?" Hannibal asked. Arty said nothing, instead opting for a salute. She was lying on her bed, unlike Lecter, who was sitting. Up close Clarice could see the deep lines on Hannibal's face, line that had developed over the time he had been staying in the penitentiary. She also noticed that Artemis had a slight blackish tint to her hair color, which supported her claim that it had been dyed.

"Well Artemis, you will be happy to know that you only need to answer three more questions for me, before you have the money to buy Osiris a Christmas present." She said to the girl. Arty barely looked excited, but she did nod her head in response.

"Okay then, let's get started. Tell me about your last killing, the one of the two kids in Alabama?" Artemis sighed.

"If I said it once, I have said it a thousand times, I didn't kill those kids. They were too young, and the boy would have reminded me of my brother, even though that kid was like nine. I wouldn't have been able to do it. Besides, I have a lot of respect for the dead, and wouldn't have skinned them or anything of that nature if they were my victims." Artemis starred at the ceiling without moving. Clarice looked at Hannibal, who shook his head.

"I reviewed the case file, and although the crimes were similar, the children were killed in a disrespectful, angry, vengeful way. Artemis folds her dead up and lays them neatly in soft areas, and this person left them lying in the street with their skin shaven off. They defiantly have different priorities." He defended Artemis well. She didn't look down, but she knew both adults were staring at her.

"Well then Artemis. I guess you have Dr. Lecter on your side. Next then, why killing people?" Clarice asked. Artemis said nothing for a long while, and then said.

"Because I hate people. They exploit you, they try to kill you, and they are loud and obnoxious. I just don't like dealing with them. If this room would be a little bigger and he" she pointed over her shoulder. "Were not here, it would be perfect. I could just sit here,"

"Pace the cell is more like it, Artemis." Hannibal contributed. Arty closed her eyes for a moment, and then went silent. Clarice gave her a few minutes to continue, but when she remained silent, Clarice moved on.

"Artemis, this last question is very important. All the other agents believe you killed those kids so they won't ask this, but I believe that you have nothing to lie about anymore. So, do you know anyone in the city of New York, who could do this kind of killing? Anyone you met in the area, who would try to kill someone in this manner?" Artemis thought for a long time. The room grew silent.

"There was a boy in my English class. He had flunked the English course three times, always because he would write one disgusting paper per year about major killings in America. He said he wanted to be like his father who was a historian. Only his father was in Russia and went insane. They found his body outside the US embassy building three years ago. After that, the boy disappeared. I haven't seen him since." Artemis seemed like she wanted to continue, but she said nothing. Clarice sighed.

"What was this boy's name?" She asked. Artemis looked down her own body at the detective.

"Didn't you say I only had three questions left? I believe you have exaughsted my generosity." Artemis grinned at the look of frustration that crossed Clarice's face. "His name was Robert if I remember correctly." He lived three blocks from me on 7th street. I don't know which house." Clarice looked up at the girl.

"I'm going to look into this. If he really is the killer, we might be able to drop two of your murder charges. Until we meet again." Clarice got up. Hannibal stood as she left, but Artemis did nothing. The guards entered as Dr. Lecter returned to his seat. One stooped low to take off the chains on Hannibal's feet as the other pointed his gun at the mans chest, and a third watched Artemis.

"I wonder," Dr. Lecter suggested, "If you fine boys could leave her in her chains. You see I have been trying to keep her still for some time on my own, But I am not as youthful as I once was. Just for tonight. I want to see what will happen." The guards looked from one man to the other. Being able to get out of here faster was a plus, and who knew? Maybe Hannibal would kill her and make their job easier. The one guard nodded, and when they finished with Hannibal they left. Artemis rolled over.

"What's your problem with my pacing? Is it that annoying to you?" She glared at Dr. Lecter, and his Cheshire cat grin materialized on his face.

"And what, may I ask, is your problem with me? You said you wanted me gone. What have I done that's so terrible?" Artemis glared at him and rolled over. "More over, what was so important that you almost told Agent Starling, but decided not to? Did you like this boy? Was he interesting to you? Did you think of …"

"No." Artemis cut in quickly. She wouldn't look at him, but Hannibal could tell she was upset.

"What was the matter then? You said his father was a historian in Russia. Did you know his father?" Hannibal pressed, silently getting up.

"I don't want to talk about it. Leave me alone." She said. Suddenly Hannibal lunged at her, catching her wrists in his hands. He had to straddle her hips to keep her from kicking him, and she almost got him off her once by popping her hips up, but he regained his position.

"So you do know his father, then. Was he a target? Someone you killed? You can't fight me now Arty, I have all the control."

"I don't want to talk about it." Artemis cried underneath him. She continued to struggle and Hannibal tisked her.

"Talking heals old wounds, Arty." He said. She stopped struggling for a moment and looked him in the eyes.

"Then why does talking to you only bring me more pain?" Hannibal nearly laughed.

"Was he a victim?"

"Yes, but not for the same reason as everyone else. He was one of my earlier victims."

"Why then Arty? Why this particular man? He was just an American historian. What did he ever do to you?" Hannibal watched as Artemis thrust her head up at him.

"Everything! He did everything to me! They found that he was clinically insane when they finally arrested him!" Artemis fell back in sorrow, and anger.

"So this was the man that killed your parents, who tortured you, and your brother, and who taught you to kill? He was your demon, and they probably let him go because he was an American, right? And how did that make you feel, Arty? What did that do to your mind? What drove you to kill?" Artemis just lay there crying, her tears sliding down her face and onto the cheep sheets. She was gasping for air, so Hannibal climbed off, and sat on the edge of the bed. He watched her crumple herself into a fetal position, her sobs echoing in his ears. Finally unable to deal with her pain, he took the girl in his arms, and held her until she cried herself to sleep.

A couple of hours later Clarice Starling sat at an interrogation table across from Robert Stark. The teenage boy obviously had a few problems in his head, but that didn't stop him from acting like a rich jackass.

"What the hell do you people want with me? I know my rights; I was awake for government class. You can't hold me here without reason." Clarice sighed and took a seat.

"You're absolutely right Robert. We can't hold you here, and we aren't trying to either. All we want to do is talk. Why don't you tell me about Artemis Crawford, Robert? She was in one of your classes, wasn't she? What do you know about her?" Clarice watched as the boys eyes lit up.

"That filthy bitch? She is a mass murderer and a psychopath to boot. She is a cold blooded killer and she doesn't care who she hurts. I think the bitch is an emo who wants to kill herself but can't. If she ever came by my house I would send her to hell in an instant. She was adopted, right? I feel sorry for her retarded brother and her gay ass parents. I tried to date her once, and her father nearly bit my head off when I approached the door. That's when I found out a lot more about her. I could tell you things you wouldn't believe." Clarice was shocked by the vulgar speech that poured out of Roberts's mouth. She had been so used to the respectable speech of Artemis and Dr. Lecter that she had to remind herself that not everybody spoke carefully.

"Why do you hate her Robert? Did she break your heart by rejecting you?" Robert thought for a moment, and then a devilish grin spread on his face.

"I did hate her for a while, because she wouldn't talk to me, hang with me or anything like that. Then my father was killed on a return trip to the American embassy, and it coincided with a three day absence Arty had from school. Then one day I followed her to a park, where she killed off a raccoon with her bare hands. Then I went to the Russian-US embassy and they said they hadn't seen a killing like this in six years. The last one, they said, was of a councilor at an orphanage. When I researched the killing, I found where it was, and was able to go there. The place was an old castle, turned bunker house after world war two. The headmaster there said that they had never caught the killer, and that I was welcome to check records. The deceased was an acquaintance of my fathers. The records show that about five years ago a child came out of the woods claiming that two men had killed her family, and that her brother was still up in the mountains. When they searched the hills they found my father, his friend, and a bloody slaughter of a family in the woods. The friend became a councilor at the orphanage. They never found the little boy, so they assumed he was dead. The girl had no name, so they gave her one, Micha, the same name of a little girl who went missing in the woods during world war two. She never spoke again, and the councilors tried everything. She was deathly afraid of my fathers friend. Then on night he was disciplining a little boy, and someone came out of nowhere and bit through his neck. When I saw the pictures, I was reminded of Arty's little trip to the park. I followed the file of the little girl who had been saved from the woods, and found that she had been adopted by the Crawford's, who had changed her name. Now her name is Artemis, and she lives in New fucking York city. The hell hole of humanity. My neighbor has a grudge against my father so strong that she bit his thought out." Robert stopped for air. He had a deranged look in his eye.

"Now I know why her father wouldn't let me talk to her. Maybe he feared for my safety, or her sanity, but you know? I think that she is a monster that just manipulates people, and that you better not let her manipulate you. She disserves to be in jail, and I only wish I could have seen her face when the cops pulled up on her slaughtering those two kids." Clarice hadn't noticed that the whole time Robert had been talking he had been leaning in. Now he sat back, crossing his arms over his chest in triumph, the grin apparent on his face. "You tell that bitch next time you see her, to say hi to my dad as she rockets down to hell. He'll be standing near the gates of heaven laughing his head off at her."

Sorry for the long break, life has been hell. Wow, I didn't know I could be that obnoxious and cruel. I knew Arty had killed his parents, but that monologue was unusually harsh. If Artemis had been there she would have knocked his block off. Any way, hope you enjoyed it, please respond with helpful hints!!!!!!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Arty was particularly angry the next morning, a night guard relaying to Clarice that she had been chained to the bed all night at Dr. Lecter's request. Clarice decided that it would be better if she stayed on the outside of the glass, seeming as she only had a few questions to ask.

"Artemis, I talked to Robert last night, and he was more of a hindrance to you than help. He also told me a lot about you, including that you killed a councilor in Russia because he was reprimanding a boy. Was this boy your brother?" Artemis just laid there starring at the ceiling. Clarice sighed deeply.

"If you refuse to talk to me Artemis, I can cut off your food supply. We can put you in a regular prison with men who would be happy to have a girl in their presence. It's your choice Arty." Hannibal was about to make a comment when Artemis spoke.

"What do you want me to say? What do you know that I don't, agent Starling?" Artemis hadn't changed positions, but Clarice could hear pain in her voice.

"That the boy you protected was not your brother. He was just some random kid you attached to. That your real brother either died in the forest, or he never existed in the first place. That..."

Artemis charged the glass with a force that sent Clarice back across the hall in to the bars of the other cell. "HE WAS NOT A FIGMENT OF MY IMAGINATION!! MY BROTHER WAS ALIVE!! THOSE BASTARDS KILLED MY FAMILY!! I HAVE NO ONE! I HAVE NOTHING! ALL I HAVE IS MYSELF AND THE THOUGHTS IN MY HEAD, AND THE MEMORIES THAT HAUNT ME EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE! WHY CAN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!" Artemis slid down the glass, tears streaming down her face. Hannibal approached her slowly, putting a hand on each shoulder to try and comfort her. He was starting to see why the American historian would be so important to Arty. Clarice stood up and approached the glass.

"Artemis, you gave me Robert's name for a reason. You didn't want him to tell me what he did; you wanted him to say something else. Now I can talk to him as many times as I want, but if I don't understand, then I can't get what you want out of him." Artemis breathed hard from yelling. She took her time before answering.

"The night I was caught I got a phone call from Robert, asking me if I wanted to go on a date. I felt bad because I killed his dad, but I didn't think he knew I had done it. So I said yes, and he told me to meet him in the alley. He said he had something for me, and he didn't want anyone else to see it. I was worried, so I took the Harpy I bought on the internet. When I got to the alley he was skinning something. When I asked what he was doing, I startled him. He Took out a cell phone and said he needed to place a call. I waited at the mouth of the alley until he came up. He hit me on the head. When I woke up, I was between the bodies of the two children, my harpy bloodied, and I heard sirens. I was about to run when the police walked into the alley. I knew I didn't have a chance in hell explaining what happened, so I took the blame. I thought I was going to be able to escape. I was wrong." Artemis finally stopped for air. Clarice looked skeptical.

"Artemis," Clarice said. "I'm going to try again, but I highly doubt that Robert will confess to killing those kids." Artemis said nothing. Clarice left without another word. Hannibal helped the exhausted girl back to her bunk. When she had finally quieted down some, she looked at Hannibal.

How did they catch you this last time? I thought I read somewhere that you had vowed never to return to life in a cell?" Artemis watched him as Hannibal thought about it for a while.

"I had been on the run for a while, when I returned to Washington to try and covet Clarice. I was sure I would convince her to join me, but I only strengthened her resolve to capture me again. Then I realized that my freedom was costing her sleep and security. As long as I roamed free, she could never feel safe. At first that was a good feeling for me, but then later, it seemed to make me uneasy. I wanted Clarice to fear me, no respect me, and the longer I stayed free, the less she saw me as a brilliant man and the more I became a disgusting monster. In the end my spending gave my identity away. Agent Starling was able to find me, and confronted me in the house I was hiding at. I had vowed to never return to confinement, but the way she put up such a fight, she intrigued me so much, that I was unable to kill her, and she refused to let me kill myself. I understand her strong need to protect everyone. Therefore I have returned to confinement and await my chance to escape once more." Hannibal breathed like he wanted to continue, but he said nothing. Artemis caught the hesitation in his breath.

"And have you found your escape point yet, Dr. Lecter?" She asked. Hannibal eyed the hallway.

"Artemis, if you could leave here, what would you do?" Hannibal asked. Artemis sighed deeply. She hated getting the runaround, but she had grown more used to it over the past couple of months.

"Most likely I will just run away, try to live an ordinary life. I know I can't go back to my adopted family, and that I can't take care of my brother on the run. I will have to live alone, and stay under the radar for the rest of my life." Artemis sat up on the bed, not sure where the conversation was heading.

"Artemis, what if I offered to teach you? What if I gave you all the knowledge that I had in exchange for your help in escaping? I could offer you a home, and clothing with all the money I have in the various accounts I have under different aliases. You could learn how not to get caught, and maybe even how to live a normal life. All you had to do was help me get out." Hannibal eyed the girl, watching the cogs in her mind turn. She took a long time to answer, obviously fearful that this was a trap in the making. Truly Hannibal had every intention of teaching the girl everything he knew, but that was only if they both escaped.

"What do I have to do?" Artemis finally asked. The grin that spread across Hannibal's face was priceless.

Clarice decided to research all the information that she had gathered before dragging Robert back into the interrogation room. The boy had made quite a fuss, and the higher-ups had become nervous of her progress. True she no longer had Krender to worry about, but that did not guarantee her amnesty from her actions. Upon searching the orphanage that both Robert and Artemis had mentioned, it really did exist, and they had lost a councilor a couple of months after Aty's arrival. They had called her Misha, after the missing Lecter girl that had disappeared during world war two. That also supported Arty's claim that Hannibal had lived in the same area. Clarice was surprised to find out that Dr. Lecter had a sister. Next was the death of the American historian. There was very little to go off of when Clarice entered it into the search engine box, but one news paper clipping did turn up. It spoke of the fact that years earlier, the deceased had been accused of slaughtering a family in the woods, and that he had plead insanity, went to a clinic for nine days, and was released. Next was the police report and telephone record for Robert and Artemis. Arty's story held up well. Robert had in fact, called her and spoke with her for about twenty minutes on the phone, then later on called the police.

With all the information Clarice had gathered, she ordered to bring Robert in. This time the teen was extra annoyed, mostly because he was forced to cut a date short.

"Sorry Robert, but this is really important. I need to talk to you about a few things that have come up in the case." Clarice said. Robert glared at her.

"What the hell could be so fucking important that you had to fuck up my date?" He exclaimed. Clarice struggled not to lean over and slap the boy.

"Well first of all, Robert, you didn't tell me that you had asked Artemis out on more than one occasion." Robert's eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about?" He said. Clarice slid the phone records across the table.

"This is from the night Artemis was captured. You called her and asked her to come to the alley. You framed her for murder. You called the police to get her caught." Clarice watched the boy think quickly, trying to find an excuse.

"I called her to see if she would meet me another night. She dragged me to the alley, to show me. I got out and called the police. She is the psycho here, not me." Robert said. Clarice decided it was time to get harsh. She slammed her hands down on the table and stood up. Then she tossed the pictures of the little children across the table, followed by each of Arty's pictures.

"Come on Robert, just look at the pictures. One of these things is not like the other here, I am sure you watched that game on Sesame Street. Artemis cuts the carotid, and these kids were stabbed in the stomach. Artemis lays her dead in soft places neatly, and these kids were strewn in the alley. Artemis leaves her dead intact, except for the neck, and these kids are skinned. And tell me, Robert, why you would want to talk to a woman you knew killed your father? What were you going to say to her, Robert? That your daddy was one of her victims, and that poor daddy was just too insane to realize the torment he had caused her?" Clarice watched the boy squirm at the pictures, and become frustrated at Clarice for bringing up his father. Then she tossed three more pictures on the table. One was of an entrance to a wooded path that had two skeletons hanging from a tree branch.

"That was her mother and father!" The next was of a pile of children's bones next to a stove, the hips and femurs telltale of a four or five year old boy.

"That was her brother!" The last was the picture of a female girls back, scarred from countless beatings, some sinking down to the bones on the emaciated frame.

"And that is what your father and his buddy did to her over the course of about three years! And you think that your father didn't deserve what he got?!" Clarice leaned in closely so that she was standing on his right with her mouth near his ear.

"Do you think that daddy is proud of what you have done to these poor children? Do you think that you have corrected the wrongs in the world by disrupting these two children's lives, and leaving them in an alley? Well, Robert?" The boy was close to tears now, mumbling to himself that he was only trying to stop her, and that she shouldn't be free. Clarice was about to rip into the boy again when an officer walked into the room.

"Miss Starling, you might want to come take this call." He said.

Cliffy! The next chapter's going to be the last, so get ready for the ending! Hope you all have enjoyed this so far and hopefully I can give it an ending worthy of the Hannibal Lecter stories. ;-P Please read and review nicely.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Whew!! Last chapter alert!! This is the first fic I have ever finished. I feel soooo proud if myself. (Does little happy dance and Arty looks at her like she's insane) I wonder how it will end? 8-0 Hope you all have enjoyed the fic. Anything you think needs help, don't be afraid to respond (No flames please)!! Well here we go…….

When Clarice finally arrived at the hospital, her breath was taken away by the sight. The hall leading to cell in which Hannibal and Artemis had been sharing was covered in blood all over the walls, and on the ceiling. Two guards had been stripped of their cloths, and were now standing in towels as they recounted the night's events.

An hour earlier….

"I have a way for us to escape, Artemis. But you have to trust me completely. If you have any doubts, then the plan will not work. Can you trust me, Arty?" Hannibal asked. Artemis looked at him questioningly.

"What do I have to do?" She asked. Hannibal smirked.

"You just have to sit still and be a good girl." Hannibal said. At this he lunged across the cell, catching the child across the neck with the needle that they had given him to stitch Artemis a few months ago. Arty grabbed at her neck, but Hannibal pulled her hands away. The night guards sprung into action, running down the hall and opening the cell. When the first man entered the cell, Hannibal plunged the needle in the officer's eye. The officer backed up into his partner, causing them both to fall to the floor, where Hannibal relived them of their handcuffs and chained them to the bed. He then stripped them of their cloths and guns, and handed a set to Arty who was still clutching her neck. The gash was deep because of the force Hannibal had used, but he had missed the carotid.

"What was that for?!" Arty asked close to hysterics that the guy who supposedly had a plan had attacked her. Hannibal slammed her against the wall, holding her neck in his powerful right hand.

"Shhh. We are getting out of here, but only if you follow my directions. You want to be free right? Then you can't hesitate for a moment. From this moment on you do what I say and nothing else, understand?" Arty stared in his cold maroon eyes, and slowly nodded. Hannibal let go and let her get dressed as he gagged the guards. Then they exited the cell and stood in the hall. One of the orderlies was at the end of the hall, along with the hospital director, Alex Gabriel. Artemis wanted to ask questions, like why they were just standing there, when Hannibal raised the gun and fired at the one cop in the cell. He shot just over the man's head, but from the other end of the hall it looked like the guard had been killed. Dr. Gabriel walked forward three steps before Hannibal stopped him.

"That's close enough, I think. You don't want me to shoot the other one do you Alex Gabriel. I do believe we haven't really met. You see I am a little used to the former Dr. Chillton who would visit me constantly, it seems strange that we haven't met." Hannibal smiled his Cheshire cat grin. "I wonder why you don't visit Alex." The said man had his hands raised and was standing there facing the floor.

"I am truly sorry Dr. Lecter. I was worried that upon approaching you would do the same thing to me as you had to the late Dr. Chilton. Therefore, I was waiting until you seemed a little more open before I came to visit. We could talk now, Dr. Lecter, if you wished?" Hannibal tisked the doctor.

"Alex you were doing so well, you were apologetic, and polite and respectful, but begging for an interview? I believe I have more important matters to attend to than an interview with a third rate, c student from Yale." Artemis watched as Hannibal pushed the doctor's buttons. Alex could see he was getting nowhere with Hannibal, as he had expected, but if he could keep both of them talking long enough till the police had arrived, he would be okay.

"Are you really going to trust him Arty? After what he just did? He hurt you didn't he? He doesn't care about you. You are a smart girl; you can see that this will never work. You can't make it out of this hallway, let alone out of the state. Help us stop Dr. Lecter and you will get a bigger cell, all to your self. I promise we will refuse to cooperate with the authorities and give you what you want. Please Artemis, listen to reason." Hannibal was a little weary of this talk, but a glance in Arty's direction reassured him. The girl was smirking under the sergeant's cap she was wearing.

"What makes you think I would take a bigger cell over freedom? We have a plan, and we will make it out. Dr. Lecter may not care about me, but no matter what he will get me out of here. I just have to trust him." She looked at Hannibal who nodded reassuringly to her. She was really worried that Hannibal would turn on her, but she did know that he was going to be leaving this hell hole, and if he did send her to the hospital, it would be that much easier to escape. The gate suddenly began to open, as SWAT members poured into the hallway. Arty watched them coming in, so many that they left the door open. The smirk on her face widened to a sinister smile.

"Atemis, I want you to think of these men as a forest. Maybe the forest of your youth. One that is dangerous and cold. You have to find a way out of that forest, okay Arty?" Dr. Lecter whispered to her. Artemis closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I don't need your psychology doctor. This is what I was raised to do." She said, taking her first step toward the massive crowd. The bullets began to fire as she intentionally tripped forward, and rolled, Hannibal ducking into the safety of the cell. She continued to roll quickly toward the group, making herself a small moving target which was harder to hit. When she got right in front of the first line, she used her leg to sweep each mans lead foot out from under them, sending them back into their partners. Then she caught a gun and began to fire into the crowed. Hannibal helped too, firing from around the wall of the cell. Arty blindly started a rampage through the SWAT team, hitting and shooting everything in her line of vision. She was shot in the arm once, and ran out of bullets fast. Ducking behind a large group of bodies to recover, Arty found a machete of an exceptionally stupid dead SWAT member who must have thought they were responding to a forest assault instead of a hospital. Arty waited for Dr. Lecter to start firing so he could provide cover, and she army crawled across the floor to the doorway. She briefly looked back to see Hannibal drop his gun, and materialize another out from behind the wall. Just as a muzzle was appearing out the side of the wall, Arty caught it with the machete and directed its path of fire upward, scaring the young lutienent who possessed the weapon into firing into the other side of the alcove, where the other half of his fleet sat ready for an attack from the hallway. Arty laid flat on the floor and caught the muzzle of a gun and brought it to her as a sergeant stood up for a better shot at the girl who had just taken down half his fleet. He was seconds away from pulling the trigger, when a bullet caught him right in the temple. Arty caught the trigger of the gun she currently had possession of and finished firing into the group, one lucky guy firing back about three shots before he was silenced. Arty finally lay flat out on the floor, catching her breath and trying to stop her adrenaline, when Hannibal sank to the floor next to her.

"You can't be tired already," she laughed, rolling her closed eyes in the doctor's direction. "You didn't do any-" Arty abruptly stopped when she saw the stain of red at Hannibal's shoulder. "What can I do?" She asked sitting up quickly and ignoring her screaming arm." Hannibal slowly slid up the wall.

"Grab the medical pack on the wall. Once we are farther away, we can tend to our wounds. I'll teach you how to stitch a wound." Arty nodded, and raced into the nurse's office to find the medical pack. Hannibal followed soon after, but not before giving a fond wave to the camera that watched the alcove, and a smile.

To Clarice that wave was the signal. The game was on again. Time to begin the hunt.

The sun beat down on the group of thirteen year olds as they scrambled around a basketball court. One such youth, a boy with fire engine red hair, seemed to be exceptionally good at the game. He moved around the others with ease, and leapt higher than the others when dunking. Suddenly he felt eyes on his back, and turned around. Leaning on a chain link fence was a tall figure with a dark blue t-shirt, blue jeans, and a black cowboy hat sitting low on its head. Next to the figure stood an older man in a suit and hat, sunglasses obscuring his face. Osiris looked back at his teammates, and said he had to get a drink and would be back, then trotted over to the two figures, moving around the fence to come up and hug his sister for the first time in months.

"Sis, I heard you broke out. Mom said to tell her if I saw you so she could call the police." Osiris looked strait at his sister, amazed that they were almost the same height now. Arty smiled warmly.

"Go ahead and tell her. We won't be here much longer. I just came to say good by." Arty said. Osiris looked worried.

"You're going to leave me?" He asked. Artemis sighed.

"Osiris, I can't take you with me. It is too dangerous for you. You disserve a better life than the one I am leading. Stay here and enjoy your life." She gently gripped his chin and raised his eyes to hers. "Promise me you will enjoy life." Osiris looked at her for a minute, and then nodded. They embraced once more, and then she was gone, along with the man who had been watching the whole scene in silence.

"Are you going to be able to handle living without him?" Hannibal asked Artemis as they walked to the cab that would escort them to the airport.

"He wasn't my real brother to begin with. He was just a kid I made into my brother to make myself feel better. I have finally let go, and I can finally move on. I am going to be fine." Hannibal smiled.

"Good, because you still have a lot to learn if you want to become great." He watched the girl clear her mind, and then glance at him with determination.

"And I can't wait to get started."

Yeah, Finito! I finally finished!! (Does another happy dance). I hope you all have enjoyed this fic, and I hope to write more just like it soon, so keep an eye out for me. See you in the next story!!


End file.
